Down Shift revs musical engine with CD

May 23, 2008|ABAGAIL SMITH Tribune Correspondent

With his mom behind the wheel, Jaron Mosier found Down Shift's name on the way to band practice. "My mom was always stuck in traffic, and the name just seemed to fit -- 'down shifting,'" he says. "I knew it was right." With their self-titled debut CD scheduled for self-release Sunday, however, the Dowagiac-based group is revving up for the next leg of its journey, which began a couple of years ago at Dowagiac Union High School. In fact, all five members of Down Shift are still students there, although vocalist Bill Davis does graduate this spring. The most recent member to join the band, Davis used to sing show tunes in school plays, but as the leader of Down Shift, he's switched gears. Hard rock best describes the Dowagiac band's sound in general terms, but there's much more to it under the hood. "We blend a different melting pot of sounds together," Davis says, and Down Shift's manager, Stuart Lee, adds, "Their music isn't a wall of noise. They have melodies and rhythm." On Down Shift's first CD, their sound ranges from metal to rock, from jazz to funk and blues, with each member bringing a different vibe to the band. "Our style is not having a style," guitarist Jaron Mosier says over dinner at Max and Erma's in Mishawaka with the band. "We all have influences, but I don't want to be like any other band but our own." On their MySpace page, Down Shift refers to themselves as "a modern day blues and rock band with a ton of fuzz." The song "EAM," for instance, is reminiscent of Eddie Vedder's vocals and Metallica's riffs. Different rhythms and tempos permeate the CD. "Irreplaceable," for example, starts out with a dark guitar riff one might hear listening to Nirvana or Metallica and breaks into a soft-rock sound with powerful lyrics. "I don't consider us a metal band," guitarist Joe Ohlenbusch says. "There's influences more from blues and rock, and then some metal." Each member contributes something unique to the band. From Davis, it's his theatrical vocals, which give a lighter sound to the sometimes fast-paced and deep sounding drums, guitar and bass, which makes the group's sound distinctive. Bass player Matt Dazell, who started playing his instrument just a month before the band's first show, contributes a hard sound, something he picks up from his interest in metal. "My favorite song to play is 'Purity,' " he says. "I like playing it mainly because I'm a metal head, and the song is fast and fun to play for me." Despite their youth, Down Shift has demonstrated their drive and potential to a few people. On May 18, for example, WRBR-FM (103.9), "The Bear," featured them on its "Michiana Homegrown" program. Two month ago, they signed a management deal with Lee, who is based out of Highwood, Ill., and also manages The Cavern Beat, an internationally touring Beatles tribute act. As their manager, he will represent them in attempts to book venues outside Dowagiac and secure a recording contract. "It's pretty new, but I recognized the talent there," he says. "It's unbelievable, especially considering they're 17." Their parents and Lee support their aspirations and see no reason to slow down or give in to failure. "I feel like we're doing pretty good, better than we have ever been doing," Dazell says. "We finally have our CD coming out." Their parents and Lee also respect them because they use no profanity in their lyrics, a break from the norm for many hard rock bands. The music doesn't suffer for it, either: Their solos and sounds are intense and don't need obscene language to get their message across. "I think it shows that people who don't use profanity in their music have a more creative way of making that music," Ohlenbusch says. When asked where they hoped to be with their band in a year, or even in a month, they all agreed growing exposure and a record deal would be their ultimate goal. "I would like for us to be successful, but I want to have fun as well," Ohlenbusch says, "I hope we're still playing in a year, I really have fun playing the music and, especially, seeing people really enjoy it." "We grew up and matured with each other musically," drummer Adam Wilson says, while Mosier and Dazell offer complementary doses of perspective: "Being in the band has made high school the happiest time for us," Mosier says while enjoying a Coca-Cola, and Dazell adds, "I'm just happy to have something to do."